Until Colin Cowdrey reached the mark in 1968, no cricketer had played 100 Test matches. It is both a measure of Australia's success and the vast expansion of the game's scheduling ever since that Ricky Ponting now stands above all others, the first man to have played in 100 Test victories.

Of all Ponting's achievements, this will sit near the top as a source of satisfaction whenever he ends his career. Personal statistics and their associated glory have never held his attention, but for 16 years, Test match wins have been his fundamental goal. For him to know he has participated in 100 of them will cause the familiar grin to emerge on Ponting's face, the grin that has remained boyish through all the series, tours and fluctuations of his time on the big stage.

Ponting was a boy wonder when he enjoyed his first Test win, on his debut in December 1995. Also against Sri Lanka, it took place on a Perth pitch as far removed from the dustbowl of Galle as it is possible to be. Sri Lanka were bowled out for 251 on the first day, then Muttiah Muralitharan returned figures of 2 for 224 as Mark Taylor's Australia ran up 617 for 5 declared. A little more than a week short of his 21st birthday, Ponting stroked his way to 96 before the umpire, Khizer Hayat, gave him out lbw to a ball that would have passed wide and high of the stumps. Ponting's memory is famously sharp: he would have Hayat's cruelly raised finger to help motivate him for the next decade and a half. When Australia returned to the field that day, Shane Warne placed a consoling hand on Ponting's shoulder.

Ponting claimed his first three Test catches as the visitors were rounded up and an innings victory completed. Australia went on to sweep the series 3-0 with methodical displays in Melbourne and Adelaide. Beyond a pair of early spells out of the side as his game and his sense of discipline were developed, that result was representative of much that followed. Under the leadership of Taylor, Steve Waugh and Ponting himself, the wins were piled high. On no fewer than 20 occasions, Ponting took part in a series in which there were no other results but Australian victories. By comparison, Allan Border played in one.

Wins are seldom taken for granted, and there was always the presence of history to remind Ponting of their value. Over his 156 Tests, Border took part in 50 wins. But this avalanche of success brought with it a keen sense that victory was the right and proper result for Ponting and his team. Sometimes that expectation and confidence resulted in victories from nowhere, like the sweep in Sri Lanka in 2004, Ponting's first series as captain, when three Tests were won from unlikely positions. But it could also lead to anger and tension when the desired outcome seemed to be slipping away, or when the urge to force a result outstripped all other concerns. Australia wins were celebrated wildly, and the desire to reach that point was ravenous. The 2008 Sydney Test defeat of India stands as Ponting's most acrimonious, and the one that marked the unofficial end of Australia's domination.

Up to that point, Ponting had played in 113 Tests and claimed victory in 81 of them. Since then he has played in 40 and won only 19. As captain of a team who began to struggle, his priorities were at times blurred. No one present will forget the drama in Nagpur later in 2008, when most concluded that Ponting had placed the prevention of a heavy sanction for a tardy over rate ahead of a fleeting chance at a series-levelling win. More recently, the amount of time and effort he had to spend educating, guiding and worrying over a young team seemed to sap his mental reserves for his own batting, always Ponting's most reliable contributor to victory.

Yet, over this latter period, he has derived arguably greater pleasure from the matches and series he has won, for they have been achieved with lesser resources. Those resources include his own batting, which has slipped in terms of effectiveness if not method, as an average of 39.96 since January 2008 can indicate. The losses have eroded Ponting's standing - he admits some will remember him more for three Ashes series defeats than the raft of other victories - but have also enhanced his appreciation of the wins.

This was never more evident than after a young team had completed a series victory in South Africa in early 2009, having lost the reciprocal Tests in Australia that preceded it. Ponting's reaction to that result was as boisterous as any in his career, and reached into the heart of why he has sought Test match wins more uncompromisingly and more prolifically than any other player in history.

"I'm extremely proud of the players," he said at the time. "This is as happy as I've been in my whole career as an Australian player. This is a great achievement from this team, and I'm sure there will be a lot of people back home in Australia really proud of what the team has done.

"We play to win games of cricket for Australia and to do the best that we can for each other as a group of players. Whatever happens as a result of that, happens. If silverware comes your way then great, but that's not the reason that we play the game."

Success to Ponting is not about trophies, nor about his place in the pantheon. It is about winning Test matches, and this singularity of purpose has taken him to 100 such results. He has not made a prouder century.

Well done Ricky you are a true champion. Unlike Tendulkar you do not chase personal records and you can actually win a game off yuor own bat! Anyone who denies punters sparkling record is kidding themselves.

GRAMMY_SACHIN
on September 6, 2011, 10:44 GMT

What a wonderful acievement. Hats off to Ricky for being part of 100 Test Wins. This really shows how dominant AUSSIES were during punter's playing days. This is a celebration time and Congrats to Punter and all the distinguished greats in the list (Warne, Mcgrath, Waghs, Gilly, Haydos, Langer). More importantly this achievement is a fair indication of How Strong the Great AUSSIES were and punter must be fortunate enough to be part of this dream team / legacy. Evern SRT or for that matter any cricketer will trade anything for this 100 Test Wins. This is truly un-believable.

After a careful look at the stats in the article, and also looking at Punter Vs SRT comparison, i found that Punters last 40 Tests has yielded only 19 wins (47.5% wins) and if he had to play alongside current lot of AUS players through out his career, he would have achieved about 73 Test Wins only. This clearly shows that this record is a Team Record and can't be compared with individual records.

on September 6, 2011, 7:57 GMT

you are the best in whole world.because you record is not indivisible,you make history.

here2rock
on September 6, 2011, 3:11 GMT

Wonderful achievement by a gutsy cricketer. Many congrats Punter, keep it going for a few years more! The game has been blessed with players like Ricky Ponting.

on September 5, 2011, 15:38 GMT

Punter have alz showen his strength of achieving high goal to his nation and his team. he had performed when his team needs him at most. E.g final of 2003 World Cup final, where he played indian all around the ground. Eye Evidence, Sachin was there too. Playing as a captain differs a lot rather than playing for own position. Once before dhoni, there was lot of talks on, to whom captainship should be given too and at the end sachin denied clearly and replied, ' why senior players are alz out in pressure? Accepting the team of Waugh should be big heart becoz making a gud team in a great job but maintaining the execellence of the team is the greatest and the toughest job. And this is wht makes punter a great player than sachin. and hats off to Master Aussie Captain.

on September 5, 2011, 13:42 GMT

Ponting's 100 test wins are greater than Sachin's would be 100 test centuries and same would have been true for Langer, Hayden, Warne, Mcgrath, Lee, Gillespie and other Australian greats had they played as long as Ponting played for Australia. Does that mean all are better players than Sachin irrespective of batting and bowling? the answer is no, all have simply contributed towards successive Australian victories and yes Ponting is a major part of it..so kudos to him...Sachin on the other hand has done what he could do and has mostly succeeded in playing his own part but alas 4/11 Indians contribute to an Indian Victory compared to 8/11 for an Australian victory. Also for Pakistan fans who choose to heigten Ponting's achievement over Sachin's achievement, I know you guys are right in doing so but in embracing Ponting you guys are actually just showing your dislike for an Indian and nothing more as you dont have one from your country.

Nerk
on September 5, 2011, 12:14 GMT

Well done Ricky. I would have dropped you a dozen tests ago, but I can recognise what a marvelous servant you have been since '95. A fantastic batsman, a brilliant fielder, one of the best in the last decade.

BravoBravo
on September 5, 2011, 11:42 GMT

This nice and to the point article is written to celebrate and recognize a CRICKET GREAT, and which Ponting really is. In the whole article there is no mention of any team or any other player, or any comparison whatsoever and that is the way it should be. It seems very silly on part of other team supporters to compare Ponting with others in the game. It seems to me like someone wounds have been sprinkled with salt.Congratulations to Ponting. Ponting you brought unprecedented heights to the game, CRICKET.

Bollo
on September 5, 2011, 10:28 GMT

@TheOnlyEmperor, re. `Not impressed! In how many of the 100 did he get the Man of the Match? :P` For the record, Ponting has won 16 MoM awards in 153 tests, playing in statistically the most successful team of all time. (Tendulkar has won 14 in 181, in a far weaker side.). Ever heard of the word magnanimous by any chance?

on September 5, 2011, 10:22 GMT

Ashis Tiwary: Very bad denial to Ponting, I can't believe one can be as bias & prejudiced as U r being here, but yes it's your right for u r an independent citizen of a nation independent! But, FYI, during those 100 wins Ponting was not clapping sitting on a balcony watching his talented teammates, instead he's in field giving his all as a batsman, fielder & captain- as a player. So if Sachin is Sachin why r u saying Ponting is not Ponting, huh? Iz it a joke mate? Wake up & accept it's very rare that any team wins solely by an individual brilliance; for a team to win it needs a teamwork & team players like Ricky Ponting not the players who mostly play 2 improve their records, mind it by records I mean Individual record.@ TheOnlyEmperor: Can't tell u how many times he was MOM in those 100 tests but yes he's scored over 8000 runs close to the average of 60 & overall careerwise has scored 28 hundreds in a winning cause! I think it should be more than enough for u to compare & judge Ricky.

RandyOZ
on September 6, 2011, 23:38 GMT

Well done Ricky you are a true champion. Unlike Tendulkar you do not chase personal records and you can actually win a game off yuor own bat! Anyone who denies punters sparkling record is kidding themselves.

GRAMMY_SACHIN
on September 6, 2011, 10:44 GMT

What a wonderful acievement. Hats off to Ricky for being part of 100 Test Wins. This really shows how dominant AUSSIES were during punter's playing days. This is a celebration time and Congrats to Punter and all the distinguished greats in the list (Warne, Mcgrath, Waghs, Gilly, Haydos, Langer). More importantly this achievement is a fair indication of How Strong the Great AUSSIES were and punter must be fortunate enough to be part of this dream team / legacy. Evern SRT or for that matter any cricketer will trade anything for this 100 Test Wins. This is truly un-believable.

After a careful look at the stats in the article, and also looking at Punter Vs SRT comparison, i found that Punters last 40 Tests has yielded only 19 wins (47.5% wins) and if he had to play alongside current lot of AUS players through out his career, he would have achieved about 73 Test Wins only. This clearly shows that this record is a Team Record and can't be compared with individual records.

on September 6, 2011, 7:57 GMT

you are the best in whole world.because you record is not indivisible,you make history.

here2rock
on September 6, 2011, 3:11 GMT

Wonderful achievement by a gutsy cricketer. Many congrats Punter, keep it going for a few years more! The game has been blessed with players like Ricky Ponting.

on September 5, 2011, 15:38 GMT

Punter have alz showen his strength of achieving high goal to his nation and his team. he had performed when his team needs him at most. E.g final of 2003 World Cup final, where he played indian all around the ground. Eye Evidence, Sachin was there too. Playing as a captain differs a lot rather than playing for own position. Once before dhoni, there was lot of talks on, to whom captainship should be given too and at the end sachin denied clearly and replied, ' why senior players are alz out in pressure? Accepting the team of Waugh should be big heart becoz making a gud team in a great job but maintaining the execellence of the team is the greatest and the toughest job. And this is wht makes punter a great player than sachin. and hats off to Master Aussie Captain.

on September 5, 2011, 13:42 GMT

Ponting's 100 test wins are greater than Sachin's would be 100 test centuries and same would have been true for Langer, Hayden, Warne, Mcgrath, Lee, Gillespie and other Australian greats had they played as long as Ponting played for Australia. Does that mean all are better players than Sachin irrespective of batting and bowling? the answer is no, all have simply contributed towards successive Australian victories and yes Ponting is a major part of it..so kudos to him...Sachin on the other hand has done what he could do and has mostly succeeded in playing his own part but alas 4/11 Indians contribute to an Indian Victory compared to 8/11 for an Australian victory. Also for Pakistan fans who choose to heigten Ponting's achievement over Sachin's achievement, I know you guys are right in doing so but in embracing Ponting you guys are actually just showing your dislike for an Indian and nothing more as you dont have one from your country.

Nerk
on September 5, 2011, 12:14 GMT

Well done Ricky. I would have dropped you a dozen tests ago, but I can recognise what a marvelous servant you have been since '95. A fantastic batsman, a brilliant fielder, one of the best in the last decade.

BravoBravo
on September 5, 2011, 11:42 GMT

This nice and to the point article is written to celebrate and recognize a CRICKET GREAT, and which Ponting really is. In the whole article there is no mention of any team or any other player, or any comparison whatsoever and that is the way it should be. It seems very silly on part of other team supporters to compare Ponting with others in the game. It seems to me like someone wounds have been sprinkled with salt.Congratulations to Ponting. Ponting you brought unprecedented heights to the game, CRICKET.

Bollo
on September 5, 2011, 10:28 GMT

@TheOnlyEmperor, re. `Not impressed! In how many of the 100 did he get the Man of the Match? :P` For the record, Ponting has won 16 MoM awards in 153 tests, playing in statistically the most successful team of all time. (Tendulkar has won 14 in 181, in a far weaker side.). Ever heard of the word magnanimous by any chance?

on September 5, 2011, 10:22 GMT

Ashis Tiwary: Very bad denial to Ponting, I can't believe one can be as bias & prejudiced as U r being here, but yes it's your right for u r an independent citizen of a nation independent! But, FYI, during those 100 wins Ponting was not clapping sitting on a balcony watching his talented teammates, instead he's in field giving his all as a batsman, fielder & captain- as a player. So if Sachin is Sachin why r u saying Ponting is not Ponting, huh? Iz it a joke mate? Wake up & accept it's very rare that any team wins solely by an individual brilliance; for a team to win it needs a teamwork & team players like Ricky Ponting not the players who mostly play 2 improve their records, mind it by records I mean Individual record.@ TheOnlyEmperor: Can't tell u how many times he was MOM in those 100 tests but yes he's scored over 8000 runs close to the average of 60 & overall careerwise has scored 28 hundreds in a winning cause! I think it should be more than enough for u to compare & judge Ricky.

Aodaliya2
on September 5, 2011, 10:08 GMT

Great to see everyone praising Punter for a change because it is a great team achievement. I think it's time to leave him alone and stop calling for his retirement because there is no one else with 100 wins of experience and there never will be and right now that's a perfect roll for him to play in the team. People compare his retirement with Border, Taylor and Waugh but there is no comparison because when those guys were given a little bit of a push there were better players to take their place, so until Wato, Pup, Hughes etc are averaging more than 55 I think there is absolutely no doubt as to his place in the team. 3 cheers for Punter and the golden era and may he perform well enough and long enough to see in the next one in and then quietly slip away.

on September 5, 2011, 8:23 GMT

what a cruel joke on cricket dis stats is??it just reflects d good plannin of CA and the fact dat ponting played alongside 14 matchwinners,consistently during his period!He had to play most of the times to win matches not to avoid losses!He came after worlds best openers and had backing match finishers!The fact dat top ten in this list are aussies clears the air.Sachin is sachin his love for his country is deep and had dere been finishers or bowlers all his personal knocks wd hav been gr8 Indian win!

on September 5, 2011, 8:00 GMT

You cannot win all things in life. You have to win some and lose some. Ponting maynot have statistical excellence like Sachin or Magical batting of Lara, but he contributed heavily to his teams wins at cost of statistics.

In Case of Sachin, its not fair to say that he is selfish. He made 99 international hundreds not for his own records but to make for stupid bowling unit he was forced to play with. Except Kumble, Zaheer there were no wicket taking bowlers in his playing period. Its Sachin Fans arrogance behaviour which angers many people.

Coming to Ponting, even though he played with greats he has to elevate himself to the high standards followed by his peers to become a part of successful team. Again Australia lacked bench strength due to low population which forced many of greats to play for longer period of time.

Any insightful Cricket fan won't compare Lara, Sachin and Ponting.

on September 5, 2011, 7:49 GMT

Great achievement , shows a strong system more effective in the long run. The weaknesses of our current systems are bieng shown in the current series in england. Instead of critisicing we must learn from the aussies and work towards strengthing our cricketing system .

TheOnlyEmperor
on September 5, 2011, 7:04 GMT

Not impressed! In how many of the 100 did he get the Man of the Match? :P

on September 5, 2011, 6:16 GMT

Guys,

Let us leave SRT out of this. Let us bow to Ponting and wish him luck as he continues to traverse a new zone in test cricket - 100 cricket wins when playing 100 test was rare two-three decades back. Luck did play a part, he was lucky to be part of golden era of Australian cricket with fantastic support cast in Warne, Hayden, Waugh(s), McGarth, Gilchrist, Lehmann, Martyn, Langer, Brett Lee.
Cricket was a winner to see a century of team wins before a century of centuries.

faisalameer
on September 5, 2011, 6:03 GMT

This a great achievement. But it's a team achievement also. Look australians dominance in this list. Suchin 100 international centuries is purely personnel achievement. We cannot campare thease things. Lara's winning ratio may not good, but anybody cant say he was a great pair. Still feel suchin winning ratio is very good even India's test record is poor campared with Ausis, and SA.

redneck
on September 5, 2011, 5:04 GMT

@biasreporter i find it funny for someone who says they are not a tendulker fan you still find a way to bring up his name in a article about ponting! you want to talk made up statistics what kind of stat involves combining ODI and test records to count out 100 centuries!!! that to me is a bogus stat. there was no ponitng has 200 international wins combining ODIs and tests in the same figures like every indian is doing with srt! that my friend is a bogus stat, its not based on preformance in a set format but a combinatation of figures made up to produce a synthetic milestone! @68704 mate like most things in australia the silent majority which love ponting are drowned out by the vocal minority calling for his head. dont be fooled by his booing in the home ashes that was the done by the huge barmy army contingent not by us aussies! ponting has many supporters down under still, he deserves each and everyone of them for giving everything for the team cause for over 15 years!

only_sehwag
on September 5, 2011, 4:54 GMT

@Philvdk

Not all indians wear sachin colored glasses...as a matter of fact, no indian should..because he hardly played for india, he played for himself..and continues to do so

only_sehwag
on September 5, 2011, 4:51 GMT

@RD_INDIAN

Sachin was never the lone ranger...in the early nineties he had kapil, azhar, jadeja, manjrekar etc and later on dravid,ganguly,laxman came...then in the 2000's the one and only sehwag came along blasting 300 runs in one day...yes, sachin was always the selfish ranger though..no argument on that..

AjayB
on September 5, 2011, 4:14 GMT

Very impressive achievement. It has been probably lost amongst all the negativity surrounding the recent losses but all that not withstanding, an extremely significant achievement - unlikely to be surpassed by anyone. Amazing feat of grit, guts and determination and deserves salute from one and all. No one would say it is an individual achievement and try to find reasons why or how he got here, but people - please give Ponting every single word of merit that he deserves. He has put in the sweat day in and day out, worked very very hard - besides having tons of talent.

Sanj747
on September 5, 2011, 3:08 GMT

Meety agree with you fully. Srinath vs McGrath is not even a contest. Whoever thinks otherwise must have no clue about cricket.

Meety
on September 5, 2011, 1:34 GMT

@CanTHeeRava - OMG! Give yourself an upper cut! LOL! "...Srinath was as good as McGrath..." classic! Srinath & McGrath CAN be compared, McGrath had an average 3 runs per wicket better than Srinath in INDIA, & took over 4 wickets per match compared to Srinaths 3 wickets per match. McGrath was better in India than Srinath & clearly was miles better - any NORMAL person would recognise this. LOL!
== == ==
As for Punter, good onya matey!. Its a great achievement (although its a team game & others have contributed).
== == ==
SRT 99 International tons v Punters 100 Test wins, IF SRT is a team man he would have to say he'd rather 100 Test wins. Otherwise, its personal glory that drives him. (which is not such a bad thing).

Philvdk
on September 5, 2011, 1:13 GMT

Strange to see that all the Ponting bashers of the last few years are strangely quiet on this article. Well, except for the Indians who wear only Sachin coloured glasses. I guess all the regular bashers must be gnashing their teeth trying to think of a negative response, but just can't come up with one. Let's hope Ricky is with us for a few more years yet and continues to build on his fantastic achievements.

redneck
on September 5, 2011, 1:12 GMT

i remember watching pontings first test at the waca, i remember watching 2 players making their debut putting on a great partnership both making half centuries with ponting unlucky to not make a ton and law showing what established first class players are capable of upon entering the test arena. remember thinking australias cricket future was in good hands. not too disimilar to the galle test just been come to think of it. 2 players on debut and both looked a good fit in the team.

kentjones
on September 5, 2011, 0:27 GMT

Ricky Ponting, this is an amazing achievement. This is an indication both of your effectiveness as a team man, as well as the efficiency and success of the Australian team. All cricket lovers MUST be overwhelmed by this. Congratulations to you and most of all congrats to TEAM AUSTRALIA!

RD_INDIAN
on September 5, 2011, 0:19 GMT

Also in the 1990s SRT was the 'lone ranger'. All hopes were on him if he got out the fans would start hoping for a draw and we also lacked wicket taking bowlers. Get back with a few stats

alternateview
on September 4, 2011, 21:40 GMT

This sort of record is a good indicator of greatness more so than individual records which do sometimes not tell us the real story. As great a batsman as he is, I think even Dravid will agree, as a true gent, that he would not be regarded as one of the fielding greats despite having the test record of most catches by an outfielder

biasreporter
on September 4, 2011, 20:51 GMT

What kind of bogus statistic is this? He gets credited with a win even if he scored a double duck? Ponting has "100 wins" as you call it because there was McGrath, Warne on the same team.

This is a made up statistic so Tendulkar doesn't get all the limelight (and I am not even a bit Tendulkar fan).

I mean in the 150 years of the sport, I have never heard any mention of this metric and suddenly is being introduced. Where were the celebrations when he won 50 tests, etc. Or for that matter when any one of the greats of the sport won 25 tests or 50 tests and so on....

BnH1985Fan
on September 4, 2011, 19:46 GMT

Since several of you absolutely insist on inserting Sachin in an article on Ponting, here are the stats (from Statsguru) for the 2 players:

Sachin has played in 181 tests, and his record is as follows:
Wins 61 Avg. 67.56
Loss 50 Avg. 37.79
Draw 70 Avg. 66.52

28 of Ricky's 39 centuries have come in an Oz win. Further, in 48 of the 100 wins Ricky was the captain.

20 of Sachin's 51 centuries have come in India's win. SRT captained India in only 4 of the 61 wins.

Let these numbers help you reach the conclusion on who has been more effective in their country's wins.

zico123
on September 4, 2011, 18:37 GMT

there is no doubt he was one of all time greats, but he has passed his prime, and just by his own grit he wants to hold on to it as long as possible, he should make way for youngstars

on September 4, 2011, 17:05 GMT

don't blame Sachin I bet on this if pointing plays for india no buddy will remember his name he is only lucky to be the part of world's greatest team I am not doubting ability of pointing but Sachin is surely better then him.
if you see the list of player wining most of the test matches all Australians and of the same era so it is the domination of team and not the individual ..

nlambda
on September 4, 2011, 17:05 GMT

As usual, we see a number of Pak fans rubbishing Sachin's 100 century milestone :-(. *Of course* an Australian, and one of the Waugh-Gilchrist-Warne-Mcgrath club, would reach the milestone of 100 test wins. Who else could it be? If Sachin had these guys as teammates instead of chaps like Dodda Ganesh, Paras Mhambrey, David Johnson he might have come close.

Lallubhai
on September 4, 2011, 16:59 GMT

Hats off to a brilliant batsmen and fielder on reaching a formidible milestone . It clearly says he was part of a brilliant team , not all of his own doing.

Cric_123
on September 4, 2011, 16:35 GMT

Does anyone know which player has featured in the highest number of test losses? My bet: The GREATEST player of all times, Sachin Tendulkar.

HamzaAftab
on September 4, 2011, 15:49 GMT

I think Pointing is always top. he is much batter then Tendulaker. Pointing p played for Australia and Tendulaker playes for himself. Pointing is always best. Congratulation to Pointing. we will remember him as a fighter while Tendulaker will remember as a personal mile stone achiever...

BellCurve
on September 4, 2011, 15:46 GMT

Here is a remarkable and important stat. Since 15 November 1989, when Tendulkar made his Test debut, top order batsmen have averaged 36.29 in matches won or lost, and 47.68 in matches drawn. The reason for this is pretty obvious: drawn matches are usually played on flat pitches. Tendulkar has played in 70 matches that were drawn, more than anyone in the history of cricket. This has benefited his Test batting average considerably.

RAshutoshT
on September 4, 2011, 15:44 GMT

Although Ponting would be remembered as an extreme player who left no stone unturned to win matches (some over the line especially) and as the only Australian captain to loose 3 Ashes but at the same time no body would ever question his commitment to Australian cricket and his contribution through batting and his antics too... HATS OFF TO A TRUE ONCE IN A GENERATION LEGEND... (This is the first time i am praising Ponting like many other Indians). As for this achievement, I don't think there would be any player who wouldn't give his limbs in swap including Don and Sachin...

demon_bowler
on September 4, 2011, 15:42 GMT

That picture's a rarity -- Ponting holding the Ashes urn (well, a replica!). Seriously, though, I've got a lot of time for Punter. One of the things I like best about him is that he has always respected test cricket above all other forms. 100 test wins is an incredible feat that may never be bettered. Of course, you need good bowlers to win those matches -- you can only set it up for them. That's why it's unfair to jibe at Tendulkar -- it's not his fault that India don't win many tests.

on September 4, 2011, 15:39 GMT

Great achievement. This over Tendulkar's 100 centuries anyday!

shakkw
on September 4, 2011, 15:21 GMT

Wow that is some achievement. Numbers don't lie.. To me 100 test victory is greater landmark than 100 centuries as a batsman. What set him apart from other greats is that he is the true winner. I will remember him as some one who always wanted to WIN!

only_sehwag
on September 4, 2011, 14:39 GMT

@Cpt.Meanster

Sachin was never the only bright spot in the indian team..he played alongside kapil, kumble,srinath,azhar,srikanth,dravid,sehwag,ganguly,manjrekar ..to name a few...on the contrary i think india lost quite a few matches because he was pursuing his personal landmarks..

only_sehwag
on September 4, 2011, 14:35 GMT

Take this sachin fans...take this...this is what is called a record..

Indian_Fan09
on September 4, 2011, 14:33 GMT

Great achievement for Cricket as a whole!! There is always this Tendulkar VS Ponting debate everywhere. There is only one batsman who will give anything and everything for a win and thats Ponting!! He does not care what others think, what the media things, If his add revenues will decrease and will go for the win anyway anyhow!! As an Indian Cricket Fan I always think what the reaction all over India would have been towards Ponting had he been an Indian and Tendulkar an Australian!! I know how we all would jump the ship to take Ponting's side!! I cant remember a single batsman for India who would take the game to the face of the opponents with the cocky words, dominating batting and near perfect acrobatic fielding! All the best Ricky for the rest of you career!! Keep on entertaining we cricket fans with the majestic batting and the splendid fielding that we can only dream of!!

on September 4, 2011, 14:29 GMT

Ponting is the greatest. Tendulkar is way behind him in terms of class, ability to lead or win matches for the country.

on September 4, 2011, 14:02 GMT

Its amazing to see how obsessed we are with one Sachin Tendulkar that we choose to recognize the outstanding achievements of this wonderful player. I would rather have a player who has been part of a 100 test victories than a player with 100 test centuries !!!..Its the team victory that counts and not individual brilliance !!!

on September 4, 2011, 13:25 GMT

quite surprises, Only Australian and S.African make to that list
which shows only these team dominate the world cricket, comprehensively

happycric
on September 4, 2011, 13:15 GMT

Congratulations to Ponting on completing 100 wins in test matches, but will he be remembered for that. No.

happycric
on September 4, 2011, 13:14 GMT

Ponting is really fortunate to be a part of a very strong australian team who won almost every game in last 10 years. Cricket will not see such a team for a very very long team, and it is very good for the future of the cricket that each team will be really competitive.

on September 4, 2011, 13:11 GMT

Sachin Tendulkar's 100 hundreds OR Ponting's 100 victories I will take ponting hundreds every time. GREAT ACHIEVEMENT BY PUNTER............

Mcgrath-Dravid-Flintoff
on September 4, 2011, 13:10 GMT

india completed 100 wins as a team in 2010/ and this man has 100 wins alone. what a player. hes more valuable than tendulkar

ian_ghose
on September 4, 2011, 13:02 GMT

@awesome10 - mate i think you have the wrong numbers - Tendulkar doesn't have 100 test hundreds, he has just 51, he doesn't have 100 hundreds even in FC, List A cricket or T20 cricket. Even in international cricket, he has 99, not 100 hundreds. He isn't there yet and he might never. On the other hand Ponting has 100 VICTORIES in JUST TEST matches, the highest form of the game (the same form of the game in which England handed India's backside to them recently). If you count Ponting's international victories (like you're counting Tendulkar's hundreds) the number is 364 (thats 72 more than Tendulkar in about 100 lesser games). 364 vs 99...hardly a comparison, if you ask me. And if you really ask Tendulkar, which one he'd rather have, I am sure if he'd want the 100 Test victories, 364 international victories, rather than 99 international hundreds. Besides, if you think Tendulkar is such a Superman, shouldn't he have influenced more results all by himself?

on September 4, 2011, 12:55 GMT

Mr Ponting you are truly a Legend of World Cricket.

on September 4, 2011, 12:48 GMT

Ponting will go down in history as one of the greatest cricketers of all time......this feat is truly remarkable.Cricket is a team game and wat u do as a team is wat matters.no one is near this...this is even bigger than Sachin's 100 centuries,without any disrespect to his achievements though.hats off to u punter!!!

BnH1985Fan
on September 4, 2011, 12:36 GMT

@awesome10 -- I'd rather see a player be a part of the team that has 100 wins than a player that scores 100 centuries. The former simply means the country celebrated 100 times for victory while the latter means 100 centuries but not as many wins to show for it

on September 4, 2011, 12:34 GMT

This is what you should achive as an international player ,what is the point of scoring 99 hundreds and loosing most of the time.

on September 4, 2011, 12:20 GMT

What an achievement! Congratulations!

mustu_cric
on September 4, 2011, 11:53 GMT

This feat by ponting is remarkable just shows you what a great team player he is!

mustu_cric
on September 4, 2011, 11:53 GMT

This feat by ponting is remarkable just shows you what a great team player he is!

on September 4, 2011, 11:51 GMT

I am not surprised but really disappointed that AGAIN we keep bringing up Sachin Tendular in these conversations... It is about Ricky Ponting..
I think we Indians need to open our eyes and ears and realize tht it is a phenomenal achievement from a phenomenal player. There have been times when we've hated him but that has been because he has been on the opposite side...Same behaviour while playing for us would've been hailed as 'Fighter'!
Well done Mr. Ponting!

on September 4, 2011, 11:39 GMT

Hearty congratulations to the true champion batsman Rickey...You should be the inspiration to all aspiring cricketers...As a batsman you stand above all modern days great...

Valavan
on September 4, 2011, 11:29 GMT

Indian fans just childish in bringing comparison with sachin. Go and hail sachin when he scores 100th 100 and dont spam here without knowing the topic

Punter-Fan
on September 4, 2011, 10:57 GMT

Well done Punter..good on you....really proud of you

vishal71440
on September 4, 2011, 10:57 GMT

Oh Boy!Now this is a fantastic century.Being part of a team in 100 test wins. Nothing can get better than this. And many of those came under his captaincy. This does not only show how good a player is he, but also the greatness of his leadership which he carried with him for so many years. And not just as captain, he has even performed and won test matches for Australia not one time, but many times.
One of his most fabulous test win as captain came in his 100th test where he almost single-handily with his sublime innings of 143* won the match for Australia chasing 288 on final day in just more than two sessions.
In the game of Cricket, a player should not with compared with another player or at least with player of another country, because conditions, pitches, weather, even circumstances are different. So, one cannot take the greatness from any other by just few words.
For Ponting i must say he is already a Legend. It's 100 test "WINS" that matters at present and nothing else.

vishal71440
on September 4, 2011, 10:54 GMT

Oh Boy!Now this is a fantastic century.Being part of a team in 100 test wins. Nothing can get better than this. And many of those came under his captaincy. This does not only show how good a player is he, but also the greatness of his leadership which he carried with him for so many years. And not just as captain, he has even performed and won test matches for Australia not one time, but many times.
One of his most fabulous test win as captain came in his 100th test where he almost single-handily with his sublime innings of 143* won the match for Australia chasing 288 on final day in just more than two sessions.
In the game of Cricket, a player should not with compared with another player or at least with player of another country, because conditions, pitches, weather, even circumstances are different. So, one cannot take the greatness from any other by just few words.
For Ponting i must say he is already a Legend. It's 100 test "WINS" that matters at present and nothing else.

awesome10
on September 4, 2011, 10:54 GMT

Sachin's 100th century is an individual feat which no one can achieve and Ponting cannot even dream of making it. Ponting's 100th win was an effort by so many other good players who contributed for Australia's win and not single handedly by Ponting. Hence this is not an achievement at all. Sachin's 100th ton is going to be the talking point and this record would remain for centuries to come.

vishal71440
on September 4, 2011, 10:45 GMT

Oh Boy!Now this is a fantastic century.Being part of a team in 100 test wins. Nothing can get better than this. And many of those came under his captaincy. This does not only show how good a player is he, but also the greatness of his leadership which he carried with him for so many years. And not just as captain, he has even performed and won test matches for Australia not one time, but many times.
One of his most fabulous test win as captain came in his 100th test where he almost single-handily with his sublime innings of 143* won the match for Australia chasing 288 on final day in just more than two sessions.
In the game of Cricket, a player should not with compared with another player or at least with a player of another country, because conditions, pitches, weather, even circumstances are different. So, one cannot take the greatness from any other by just few words.
For Ponting i must say he is already a Legend. It's 100 test "WINS" that matters at present and nothing else.

on September 4, 2011, 10:16 GMT

Ponting has proved himself as a peerless player again with this staggering achievement among the cricketing greats. Few of his contemporaries--even the great Sachin--can boast of such massive achievement. Of course, he played for a team with some remarkable players that his task became easier unlike Sachin who could ascend batting peaks without much helping his team to win. Ponting is a team man through and through and seldom goes for personal milestone at the risk of the team victory. For the Aussies nothing mattered as much as the victory of the team. They could successfully keep their egos subservient to the team's paramount excellence. Here again Sachin--a redoubtable genius, by common consent--stands in sharp contrast. He gave us all the impression of chasing all existing batting records with the persistence of a botanist pursuing a rare species. Thus Sachin's excellence often coincided with India's defeat. One attenuating fact in favour of Sachin is paucity of talent around him

sunil_just_loves_test_cricket
on September 4, 2011, 10:10 GMT

Great!!! Congrats Ricky. Why all people are so worry about Sachin everyone is posting here dont compare with Sachin why not? This is a befitted reply from a legend to the most selfish cricketer modern cricket has ever seen. Look from last 10 years How selective he was that where to play where not. For example: Missing recent West Indies tour, Missing NZ tours and all games against them, missing Zimbabwe tour, and list goes on reason being: He only plays where he is missing from some achievement like be a team member in 2007 England test win, team member in draw test series against SA in 2010. I was pretty sure that he wont play ODI in England and look at last moment he said injury why becaz India won Natwest Trophy in England once so nothing to achieve now. He played Test series becaz he wants 100 at Lords but pissed off when failed and Dravid scored thereafter he did not played as he used to be...Even in Aussie domination era Ponting never missed Zimabawe tour and other no contests...

abhipunter
on September 4, 2011, 9:37 GMT

Congrats Ricky...a great achievement....for records Punter scored 8375 runs/28 centuries/36 fifties for winning cause,which is also a record. There is no comparison of Punter's achievement with others. Punter ruled world cricket not just as a player but also as a Captain which others failed to do. Punter had great contribution for the golden era of Oz cricket. For a sportsmen winning is more important than anything else. So Punter's this record will be treated as the best ever. Record centuries, runs, wickets doesn't really matter if you can't win matches for your country. Of course those records will be appreciated but cannot be compared with this one, because this is the utmost best. Hats off to u Ricky.

BellCurve
on September 4, 2011, 9:36 GMT

@AncientAstronaut - Yes, sure, India has never been blessed with great bowlers, but the average Indian fan also enjoys nothing more than to watch Tendulkar pile on runs. Therefore Tendulkar has enjoyed playing on flatter pitches and on grounds with shorter boundaries and faster outfields than any other batsman in history of cricket. This is why India has won fewer matches than other strong sides. Flat pitches are not condusive to results. It is condusive to batting records.

hhillbumper
on September 4, 2011, 9:22 GMT

it is amazing that all the comments on here about tendulkar.Not everything revolves around indian cricket and given the way they have been playing recently that is a good thing.At least Punter has played some innings which have effected the match.He is not a great captain but it is hard to be that great with a bad bowling attack.just ask any indian captain!

ian_ghose
on September 4, 2011, 9:09 GMT

Ohh...and thats 100 in just Test matches! Include victories in ODI's and T20's and I have no doubt that Ricky Ponting has the highest number of international victories of all time (364 and counting i.e. 72 more than Tendulkar with about 100 lesser matches played!). *(by the way, Tendulkar's 99 hundreds are including both Tests and ODI's). Keep going RT Ponting!

on September 4, 2011, 8:45 GMT

A great achievement. Plz dont compare any cricketers all of them are considered to be legend. even Indians where unbeatable in home but the problem is we only prepared pitches which suited spin unfortunately we only had kumble when Sachin was at his peak

on September 4, 2011, 8:35 GMT

That is a remarkable achievement as a player....truly deserved ricky....many congratulations...... i just cannot understand why people compare this achievement with sachin's 100 centuries....why cant we see two legends achievements as two different things??

on September 4, 2011, 8:12 GMT

Amazing how all the Indian fans r saying not to compare pontings 100th test win with Sachin (as he'll never get there), but everything else you can. Well then, if ponting was a 'good boy' like Sachin and not been dropped (not threw form)and if that great Aussie team did not win majority of their games by an inngs, ponting sure would be million miles ahead of Sachin in terms of runs. The debate of Lara or ponting, well if everyone says do not compare pontings achievement with Sachin, let's bare in mind that for 95percent of laras career her had not had the greats of dravid(who's the greatest Indian batter ever)ganguly, Sanjay, lax man, Sehwag etc around him to bat, Lara had the pressur of doing it alone....

Pratik_vodka
on September 4, 2011, 7:40 GMT

Congratz to Ricky great stat to reach! truly amazing. Also lets not make this another comparison between Ponting and sachin. Sachin not reaching 100 test wins is nothing to do with Sachins centuries nor is 100 test wins credited solely to Ponting. Just look at the rest closest to Ponting in the list all played in one team for a long period of time, even if sachin was half the player he is and was in Australian team from 1995-2010 he would have crossed 100 wins as well. This achievement of Pontings is a tribute of Sorts to a time period of Australian Domination of World Cricket and the team. Remember a TEAM wins a Test match and not an Individual.

on September 4, 2011, 7:36 GMT

congrats to ponting...its a great milestone offcourse...but dont compare him with sachin....success behind ponting's record is team effort(steve waugh, mcgrath, warne, hayden, gilly etc., otherwise he cant achieve this.. lets wish the team aussie also)....u cant find it in team india when sachin was playing...

on September 4, 2011, 7:31 GMT

Just an amazing achievement, being a part of 100 test wins. Surprisingly Tandulkar is not even in top 10.

sarathy_m2
on September 4, 2011, 7:28 GMT

Tough for anyone to beat this record. Great achievement. This shows - It's not important how many games you play, but for how many wins you contributed is to be counted.

keralite
on September 4, 2011, 7:11 GMT

This is to the aussies- there are many of my friends in Facebook who say Punter's hundred(wins) is better than Tendulkar's hundred(centuries).... Anyway congrats to ricky. A very selfless and aggressive cricketer..

on September 4, 2011, 7:10 GMT

Obviously Ponting's feat is THE most desired one!
Ask any team sportsman and he will tell you that his team winning is THE best feeling...
So i would say Punters century will be the one most wanted...
Being an Indian, have to say that Sachin's 100 comes only after that!!

Rahulbose
on September 4, 2011, 6:58 GMT

Now there is a stat that counts in the hall of fame. I wish he had achieved this the same day Tendulkar got his 100 century stat.

abhi_lee123
on September 4, 2011, 6:54 GMT

You cant even compare anyone to punter, sachin might have made 51 centuries but how many have INDIA won. He is a selfish player

naim_bd
on September 4, 2011, 6:36 GMT

congrats to ponting. it's certainly a great achievement for anyone who knows the value of test victories. but have a glance on the list, see who are the people he is followed by. yes, they are all the members of that invincible Australia team. so this stat is a vivid indication of the incredible strength of that team, not of ponting as an individual. you can not blame tendulkar or lara to be a part of so much(or even half of them) test wins as you all know who they were accompanied by.

on September 4, 2011, 6:25 GMT

Ponting had the legacy and flair to chalk his name as one of the best captains of all time, but his anger and blowing out of proportion at critical moments gave in. i still dont think Clarke is ready to be handed the captaincy but in hte end it is the discretion od ACB. However, this is a feat in itself, seeing the list; i dont think this record getting broken in a while.

MilindV01
on September 4, 2011, 6:25 GMT

Take A Bow Punter .......

m_ilind
on September 4, 2011, 5:53 GMT

Ponting deserves lot of credit for the 100 test wins. It's a personal landmark unlike any other, since no other players past or present has or will likely achieve it.

on September 4, 2011, 5:44 GMT

Hats off to ponting.. He has been a great cricketer for Australian team over the years... What an achievement.. This record won't be broken.. I'm proud to be his fan....

on September 4, 2011, 5:29 GMT

oh gr8 punter, greatest player in the whole world after bradman, he is better than tendulkar...indians last year have completed their 100 wins in tests and he done it alone...this shows his greatness i would love to see him playing until 2015 world cup...

on September 4, 2011, 5:25 GMT

What! I was totally unaware about it, totally & it's so so shocking that some one can make the record like this. Wow, Ponting, hats off, hats off to U again & again. Consider him a gr8 player or just a lucky chap, this is something very very very special feat. Awesome, one can take pride on just playing a 100 Tests but look at this man he has 100 Test wins under his belt & please do accept it u won't be a part of 100 test winning team for nothing, u have to be fairly exceptional & that is what Ponting is. All the Ponting bashers must must realize now he is one of the true greats of the game, a complete batsman & above all the best Team player ever. Please, don't start comparing him with the likes of Lara & Sachin now b'coz they may be greater as a batsman than Ponting but not a valued team player like him. Congratulations Pointing for this unbelievable record.

Cpt.Meanster
on September 4, 2011, 5:16 GMT

Ponting is a wonderful cricketer and former captain of Australia. His record of 100 test wins is no ordinary feat. However, many people here forget HOW he achieved this feat. Ponting played for and captained a great Australian team. When a cricketer is part of such a side he gets that extra motivation to excel and rise above his peers. From Mark Taylor to Steve Waugh, Ponting always knew what it took to be the BEST. Fortunately, he captained an enigmatic side that crushed every team on the planet like canon fodder. Comparing Tendulkar with Ponting is unfair and unjust. Sachin Tendulkar played in a very different setup. Sachin was NEVER part of a dominant Indian team. For many years he was the ONLY bright spot in an otherwise dark atmosphere of Indian cricket. So Sachin could never become the captain Ponting was OR play for the kind of team Australia had. Hence, Sachin's 100 international hundreds is as good as Ponting's 100 test wins. Credit should be given where it is due.

Cheekaaa
on September 4, 2011, 5:12 GMT

AncientAstronaut, pointed that tendulkar played most of his matches alongside srinath and prasad... as most indians he has forgot the fact that sachin also played alongside KUMBLE / HARBAJAN / KAPIL DEV. Srinath is no where inferior to any great bowlers. he has taken more than 200 test wkts.

on September 4, 2011, 5:02 GMT

Ignore some ugly incidences in his career n der wud be no doubt abt d fact that D guy is a LEGEND.

on September 4, 2011, 4:15 GMT

ricky , ur absolute king of cricket . .sachin is not even near 2 you as he spent all his life on flat tracks ! Run Rickz Ricky run !

on September 4, 2011, 4:06 GMT

no offense to sachin but ricky debut after 7 years sachin debut

on September 4, 2011, 4:02 GMT

and deservedly so..
a record which proves his priorities

CanTHeeRava
on September 4, 2011, 3:53 GMT

@AncientAstronaut: What do you mean by Srinaths and Prasads? Tendulkar as a captain (although was not successful for various other reasons) had only Srinath as his sole performer on many occasions. As a result Tendulkar had to overuse Srinath (which contributed to Srinath's shoulder injury). Srinath, like Courtney Walsh matured as he got older and was one of the best ever. McGrath played mostly in Australia and we don't have to compare McGrath and Srinath. Even when it comes to ability, Srinath was as good as McGrath (for a period of 2 to 3 years). Don't belittle what Javagal Srinath and company contributed to India's cricket. They were mostly playing at home on dead pitches. If you want to be a Tendulkar fan, you got to be Srinath and Kumble fan too.

Balumekka
on September 4, 2011, 3:45 GMT

Im a huge fan of Punter from Sri Lanka (only his batting, fielding and captaincy. not of his in and off field behavior). This 100 test win record is unlikely to be beaten. For that, you have to be a great batsman to play for a great team which dominate cricket for a longer period.

The_Wog
on September 4, 2011, 2:23 GMT

Hard to imagine this stat being broken. Kallis is next in line and only 2/3 of the way there - he's likely too old now. Is anyone in the ENG team in contention over the long term? Is anyone else a prospect?

on September 3, 2011, 19:10 GMT

mY Jaan LoVE ya LoVE Ya SO0 MUch :)

sameer111111
on September 3, 2011, 17:27 GMT

Am an Indian cricket fan and like most of them hate Ponting. But to give the devil his due, would prefer him in my team any day rather than Sachin, specially in important & crunch situations.

Rakim
on September 3, 2011, 17:05 GMT

That makes him one of the greats. Amazing.

on September 3, 2011, 16:19 GMT

Congratulations Punter for your feat! You are the greatest ever after Don!

Imz25
on September 3, 2011, 15:30 GMT

That is one of the most fascinating statistics in the game of Cricket. Most teams haven't won a 100 tests yet, and here Punter has won a 100 as a player alone. Unbelievable!

AncientAstronaut
on September 3, 2011, 13:55 GMT

I'm a big Tendulkar fan, and I usually hate Ponting, but this achievement of a 100 test wins is so much better than the 100 international centuries that Sachin will soon get. But it'd so unfair to blame Sachin for not achieving this. Ponting played with some of the greatest bowlers in history. Sachin played with Srinaths and Prasads for a majority of his career.

on September 3, 2011, 11:59 GMT

What a player... I dont think anyone gonna beat his Record.... Love You Ponting....

68704
on September 3, 2011, 11:53 GMT

This is an achievement that no other cricketer is going to come anywhere near, most certainly the current lot.Ponting has copped a lot of criticism , particularly for losing the ashes. He is an amazing team player and it was astonishing to see his fielding skills in the unlikeliest of positions as a young team beat a fancied Sri Lankan team at home in a raging turner of a wicket. I dont think Ponting has got the credit due to him as a player, as a captain, a fighter to the core often dealt teams that were not the best and not having a say in selection. Strangely non Australians admire Ponting more , grudgingly perhaps, than Australians who have never forgiven him for losing the ashes. But history will now give him the credit that he so richly deserves. 100 test wins and his contribution as batsman, fielder and captain has been immense. Sit back and enjoy the moment Punter you deserve it
sridhar

insightfulcricketer
on September 3, 2011, 11:37 GMT

A statistic that will take some doing to equal. The guy also was part of 3 consecutive ODI World Cup winning teams to boot. That knock in the last World Cup quarterfinal on a slow wicket just showed - how much desire to win burns in his heart. A true great of the game.

sifter132
on September 3, 2011, 11:06 GMT

I wonder if Sachin would trade 100 international centuries for this mark? Speaking of...everyone says Sachin's mark will never be beaten. I wonder if Ricky's 100 wins will ever be beaten?

BanglaChild
on September 3, 2011, 11:03 GMT

Although Ponting may enter the annals of Test Cricket as the only Australian Captain to have lost the Ashes twice- this is one record that may stand the Test of time like The Don's 99.96 Test average. AMAZING- simply Amazing.

on September 3, 2011, 11:00 GMT

It is gonna be difficult in future to play 100 Tests forget about winning 100...
Great achievement Punter

HatsforBats
on September 3, 2011, 10:56 GMT

An outstanding achievement for one of the modern greats. He may not be universally liked, but he should be universally admired for his ability, work ethic, and record.

dinosaurus
on September 3, 2011, 10:54 GMT

Surely with the passing of the years Indian fans will come to acknowledge that, although in the Sydney Test of 2008 Symonds was the beneficiary of a dodgy umpiring decision early in his innings, so too was Tnedulkar! And Kumble's appropriation of Woodfull's words "there is only one team out there playing cricket" (the original with reference to the Bodyline series - and on the day the wicketkeeper was felled!) was not appreciated by this particular Aussie fan.

I'm glad to read an article on Ponting that doesn't mention his run out in the Ashes series of 2005! Incidentally, Ponting's stance on running on super fieldsmen as 12th man is meeting more more general approval these days.

In fact Ponting has been somewhat of a traditionalist. He wasn't initially a fan of using technology (again his fear that the use of 2-dimensional photography to judge a 3-dimensional world could have led to the demise of the low catch has been taken on by others). Yes, he plays tough - but also fair.

on September 3, 2011, 10:44 GMT

While Sachin Tendulkar has established a benchmark for the amount of runs one player can score for his team, Ponting has established benchmark for a player how to be integral part of team's success.

Like Sachin's 100 International hundreds(which he will complete in due time), this is too an out-of-world achievement by Ponting. Hats off to you, Ponting.

on September 3, 2011, 10:38 GMT

More than 100 test matches, More than 10,000 runs in both forms of game, more than 100 catches in both forms of game, and finally more than 100 wins as a player in both forms of game. What a player can ask more than this?

I think in future, Ponting has left a lot to contribute to International cricket. He will surely become an all time great in lines of Bradman, Frank worrell, Gavaskar, Dennis lillee, Malcolm marshall, Michael holding who contributed to development to cricket even after their retirement.

on September 3, 2011, 10:21 GMT

IT IS A GOOD ACHIEVEMENT

No featured comments at the moment.

on September 3, 2011, 10:21 GMT

IT IS A GOOD ACHIEVEMENT

on September 3, 2011, 10:38 GMT

More than 100 test matches, More than 10,000 runs in both forms of game, more than 100 catches in both forms of game, and finally more than 100 wins as a player in both forms of game. What a player can ask more than this?

I think in future, Ponting has left a lot to contribute to International cricket. He will surely become an all time great in lines of Bradman, Frank worrell, Gavaskar, Dennis lillee, Malcolm marshall, Michael holding who contributed to development to cricket even after their retirement.

on September 3, 2011, 10:44 GMT

While Sachin Tendulkar has established a benchmark for the amount of runs one player can score for his team, Ponting has established benchmark for a player how to be integral part of team's success.

Like Sachin's 100 International hundreds(which he will complete in due time), this is too an out-of-world achievement by Ponting. Hats off to you, Ponting.

dinosaurus
on September 3, 2011, 10:54 GMT

Surely with the passing of the years Indian fans will come to acknowledge that, although in the Sydney Test of 2008 Symonds was the beneficiary of a dodgy umpiring decision early in his innings, so too was Tnedulkar! And Kumble's appropriation of Woodfull's words "there is only one team out there playing cricket" (the original with reference to the Bodyline series - and on the day the wicketkeeper was felled!) was not appreciated by this particular Aussie fan.

I'm glad to read an article on Ponting that doesn't mention his run out in the Ashes series of 2005! Incidentally, Ponting's stance on running on super fieldsmen as 12th man is meeting more more general approval these days.

In fact Ponting has been somewhat of a traditionalist. He wasn't initially a fan of using technology (again his fear that the use of 2-dimensional photography to judge a 3-dimensional world could have led to the demise of the low catch has been taken on by others). Yes, he plays tough - but also fair.

HatsforBats
on September 3, 2011, 10:56 GMT

An outstanding achievement for one of the modern greats. He may not be universally liked, but he should be universally admired for his ability, work ethic, and record.

on September 3, 2011, 11:00 GMT

It is gonna be difficult in future to play 100 Tests forget about winning 100...
Great achievement Punter

BanglaChild
on September 3, 2011, 11:03 GMT

Although Ponting may enter the annals of Test Cricket as the only Australian Captain to have lost the Ashes twice- this is one record that may stand the Test of time like The Don's 99.96 Test average. AMAZING- simply Amazing.

sifter132
on September 3, 2011, 11:06 GMT

I wonder if Sachin would trade 100 international centuries for this mark? Speaking of...everyone says Sachin's mark will never be beaten. I wonder if Ricky's 100 wins will ever be beaten?

insightfulcricketer
on September 3, 2011, 11:37 GMT

A statistic that will take some doing to equal. The guy also was part of 3 consecutive ODI World Cup winning teams to boot. That knock in the last World Cup quarterfinal on a slow wicket just showed - how much desire to win burns in his heart. A true great of the game.

68704
on September 3, 2011, 11:53 GMT

This is an achievement that no other cricketer is going to come anywhere near, most certainly the current lot.Ponting has copped a lot of criticism , particularly for losing the ashes. He is an amazing team player and it was astonishing to see his fielding skills in the unlikeliest of positions as a young team beat a fancied Sri Lankan team at home in a raging turner of a wicket. I dont think Ponting has got the credit due to him as a player, as a captain, a fighter to the core often dealt teams that were not the best and not having a say in selection. Strangely non Australians admire Ponting more , grudgingly perhaps, than Australians who have never forgiven him for losing the ashes. But history will now give him the credit that he so richly deserves. 100 test wins and his contribution as batsman, fielder and captain has been immense. Sit back and enjoy the moment Punter you deserve it
sridhar